Hit Hard
by JPHBK
Summary: Part 8 of my "Justice League" (2017) series. Diana and Bruce's training session leads to a heart to heart. Diana reveals some concerns to him and he offers her advice that prompts her to reach out to Clark.


Disclaimer: DC owns the characters within, not I.

Bruce dug his feet into the ground and held on tightly the bag in his arms. He tensed all of his muscles in his body up and turned his head.

"Okay," Bruce said. Within a few seconds, he felt punch that made his teeth rattle. Bruce tightened his grip even more than he thought possible and braced for another. The second one dislodged his foot and caused him to stumble.

"Sorry," Diana said as she peeked around the bag at him. He raised his eyebrows at her and smiled.

"It's fine," Bruce said with a shake of his head.

"I don't mean to hit so hard, but... if I don't I feel like I don't get anything out of it," Diana explained.

"I understand completely," Bruce responded as he let go of the bag and stepped around it.

"I can try to..." Diana began.

"What you need Diana is a partner that can hold that and let you go all out," Bruce said with a tap on the side of the punching bag. "Ever consider training with Clark?"

"It has never come up," Diana replied. "I am not sure Clark trains, does he?"

"I think so, he seems to have some fighting ability about him... it's not all brute strength," Bruce said as he walked over and picked a bottle of water up off a table in the corner of his home gym. He took a long drink as he considered Diana who was going through some strikes into the air. "You should ask him if he'd like to be your punching bag."

"I don't think that would quite be the best way to put it," Diana said with a laugh.

"I'm sure he'd be happy to help," Bruce said.

"Maybe," Diana said as she threw a kick into the air, the force of it sending a rush of air that nearly knocked the bottle out of Bruce's grip. Diana saw this and cringed slightly.

"Sorry," Diana said as she assumed a normal stance.

"It's fine..." Bruce responded as he considered Diana once more. "Is there some reason why you don't want to ask Clark?"

"No... I mean I wanted to train with you because you have the facilities and also because out of all of us you are the only one with fighting abilities to match what I've learned," Diana responded.

"I'm flattered," Bruce replied as he walked over and sat down on a weight bench.

"Also... I don't want to bother Clark too much," Diana stated.

"Bother him?" Bruce questioned. Diana reached down and loosened one of the gloves on her hand and glanced up at Bruce.

"Yes," Diana answered.

"I don't follow," Bruce stated.

"It's just, I feel like he is trying to reintegrate himself back into his life with the people he cares for and I don't want to pull him away from that," Diana said as she loosened the other glove and slipped them off. She tossed them over to a nearby table and then leaned up against it.

"I see," Bruce said. "I don't think he'd mind."

"I don't know," Diana voiced her uncertainty.

"Listen, I've talked to a lot of people over the years, got things out of them they would never want to give up... so I can usually tell when there is more to a story, but I won't pry," Bruce said with a shrug. He got up and walked over to a desk nearby to retrieve his phone off of it. He picked it up with his back to Diana.

"I'm afraid," Diana said. Bruce placed the phone down and turned to look at her. He was unaccustomed to hearing Diana admit to a fear.

"Of?" Bruce inquired. Diana rubbed her hands together in front of her and then crossed her arms. She looked up to make eye contact with Bruce.

"I'm afraid we will fall for each other," Diana confessed without a waiver in her voice. Bruce blinked a couple of times and then nodded. He turned to face Diana fully and mimicked her position by leaning up against the table behind him and crossing his arms.

"Okay," Bruce considered her words. "Are you falling for him?"

"I like Kal-El very much, I like being around him," Diana answered.

"That's not really what I asked," Bruce reacted. Diana's piercing gaze made him clear his throat. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, I just thought maybe you'd like to talk about it."

"Maybe I am," Diana confessed. Bruce nodded. "And I guess maybe I should talk about it, it has been on my mind."

"Well, I am not sure what to say to that, I might not be the best person to go to for relationship advice after all," Bruce said. "Do you not want to fall for Clark?"

"He has someone, he is in love," Diana said, her voice softer than usual.

"Right," Bruce said as he focused on the floor in front of him to gather his thoughts. "You don't want to get your heart broken?"

"It's more than that Bruce," Diana said. "I don't mind a broken heart."

"Okay... so..." Bruce struggled to understand what she was driving at.

"I don't want to be the cause of someone else getting a broken heart," Diana said. "Clark needs Lois, you saw the effect she had on him at the monument, she keeps him grounded."

"Lois is great, but I'm not sure I understand why you think only she could do that for Clark," Bruce confessed candidly.

"It's just that, I'm afraid Clark is fascinated with our similarities and will confuse that with something more and lose what he has," Diana explained. Bruce nodded, starting to follow her.

"You think Clark would fall for what you are, but not who you are?" Bruce asked.

"I suppose that's what I'm trying to say," Diana agreed. "We have bonded over that and it's great to have someone like Clark in my life but I don't want things to be taken the wrong way."

"Listen," Bruce said as he straightened up and walked over to lean up against to the table beside Diana. "I think Clark likes the person you are, we all do Diana."

Diana turned to him and tilted her head slightly. He gave her a smile and she felt herself returning it.

"Thanks, Bruce," Diana said.

"You're welcome," Bruce said. "I'm not a jerk all the time."

"I never said you were a jerk," Diana said.

"No... I did," Bruce said with a chuckle. Diana shook her head and her smile widened. "But seriously, I think you are worrying too much... if Clark Kent falls for you, it won't be because you are Wonder Woman... it'll be because you are Diana Prince."

"I still don't want to mess things up for his life," Diana explained.

"Well that wouldn't be your decision, that would be Clark's," Bruce countered. "Besides... are you just going to cut him out of your life and never see him... would make League meetings a bit awkward."

"No, I wouldn't do that," Diana said with a grin. She nodded her head and turned to Bruce. "Thanks... I'm sorry to unload all of that on you, I usually just... well I don't usually do that."

"It's fine... what's the saying? 'That's what friends are for.'" Bruce replied.

"I've heard it once or twice in my lifetime," Diana said.

"Call him up, ask him if he'd like to spend some time training, I bet he'd agree in a heartbeat, any of us would," Bruce suggested.

"Maybe I will," Diana said.

"Just..." Bruce began and looked around the gym. "I'd suggest training somewhere that's not here, somewhere where nothing can get damaged."

"Right," Diana said with a laugh before she reached behind her to grab her phone to make a call.

(****)

"Like this?" Clark asked as he held the sword in his hand and positioned his body in a pose to mimic Diana's.

"Something like that... here let me..." Diana replied as she eased her posture and walked over to Clark. She took his hand and raised his arm higher and then knelt down and pressed on the back of his knee slightly prompting it to bend. "See... now your leg is protected and your position is much stronger."

"Got it," Clark said as he watched Diana maneuver around his body out of the corner of his eye. His cape billowed up slightly obscuring her face as she looked him over. When it dropped they made eye contact with one another and Clark smiled before breaking it.

"Okay... so... show me your best strike," Diana said after clearing her throat. Clark nodded and then swung down with the sword. Diana stepped back and cocked her head to the side.

"How was that?" Clark asked, turning to face her.

"You have power," Diana answered. "Technique..."

"I suck?" Clark asked with a smile.

"Well... I wouldn't say that Kal," Diana replied with a grin back. "With some more training, you'll get it."

"I appreciate you showing me these things," Clark stated. "I'd ask Bruce... he's a very talented fighter but sometimes, well I feel like I would have to hold back too much if we train."

"Oh I know," Diana agreed. "Bruce is incredible, in what he knows and how he can uses that knowledge... but I too worry sometimes about hurting him."

"Yeah," Clark said before resuming the posture Diana had placed him in earlier. He took another swing.

"Better," Diana commented. "Watch."

Clark turned to Diana and watched as she effortlessly fell into the stance he was trying to mimic. She twirled the sword in her hand and brought it down with a precise strike.

"Wow, that's very impressive," Clark stated.

"It's years of practice, many years," Diana responded. Clark eyed the rope hanging from her waist. He glanced back up at her.

"The rope..." Clark began.

"The lasso of Hestia," Diana interjected as she reached down to place a hand on it.

"Yes," Clark responded. "When you used it on me... it... I felt things I didn't understand."

"It compels you to tell the truth, to voice things you would not otherwise," Diana replied.

"It wasn't what it made me wanna say, it was what it made me feel from you," Clark countered. Diana furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?" Diana asked.

"I'm not sure how to word it, but when you spoke it was like..." Clark searched for clarification. "You know how your bathroom mirror will fog up after a shower, and then you have to wipe it off so you can see yourself in it?"

"Yes," Diana replied.

"It was like your voice wiped away the fog," Clark said. "I never felt anything like that."

"The lasso is very powerful, it can do many amazing things," Diana responded. Clark nodded.

"Fitting you have it then," Clark said with a smile before resuming the stance and taking yet another swing.

"You say nice things, Kal," Diana replied, prompting Clark to turn to her once more. "Thank you."

"No, you don't have to thank me for that, Diana," Clark countered before placing the sword on the ground.

"Just the same, I feel like you should know that it is appreciated," Diana said with a smile before glancing at their surroundings. They had chosen a secluded spot on a cliff overlooking the sea to do their training away from anyone who might glimpse them. The area reminded her greatly of Themyscira and she felt a wave of warmth pass over her as she recalled training and sparring with her sisters there. She had long thought she'd never be able to recapture a feeling like that, but now, here with him, she felt like maybe she could.

"What is it?" Clark asked as he saw how Diana seemed to be lost in thought.

"I was just thinking about how this place, training like this, it all reminds me of Themyscira." Diana answered. Clark nodded and glanced around.

"That's a good thing right?" Clark asked.

"It is," Diana replied with a smile. Clark walked over to the ground and picked up a punching bag. He gripped it tightly and walked to stand a few feet in front of Diana. He planted his feet on the ground and turned his head.

"Whenever you are ready," Clark said. Soon he felt a blow on the side of the bag, followed by another and then another.

"You good?" Diana asked as she stepped back.

"Yep, you can go harder if you want," Clark answered. Diana nodded and then fought a smile. She refocused her attention on the bag and then let loose with a punch, much harder than anything she had thrown outside of a battle. The bag nearly folded but Clark didn't move. Diana was grinning now and she didn't care if he saw it as she continued to let loose a barrage of punches and elbow strikes. She was glad she took Bruce's advice and took a chance, maybe Clark would fall for her, maybe she was already falling for him, she wasn't sure what was going to happen but for now, she was just happy to have this moment.


End file.
